Elmwood Lebanese restaurant Mezza closes, owners changing menu

Elmwood Avenue Lebanese restaurant Mezza closed after service Feb. 10, as its owners plan to refocus the restaurant downmarket.

"We're changing the concept completely," said Peter Eid, who owns the restaurant at 929 Elmwood Ave. with his brother Johnathan. They also operate Hearth + Press, 665 Main St.

"Having Lebanese cuisine over there was difficult for people to understand, especially with the way the Elmwood Village has changed over the years. It felt like people weren't getting it any more," Peter Eid said of Mezza, opened in 2010. "We made a decision to open as a more neighborhood-friendly restaurant."

Instead of falafel and hummus, the Eids "want to bring it back to American cuisine, if you will. Burgers, wings, salads, stuff along those lines." The menu isn't complete yet, he said.

At the bar, expect cheaper prices. "It'll be more of a pitcher beer place, with less expensive cocktails," said Eid.

Expect a name change as well.

"The only thing for sure now is that we're going to have an auction Feb. 14 and get rid of our old equipment and furniture," he said. "Brighten it up a little bit, and bring in some new stuff."